Peristaltic pumps are used to pump liquids in a wide variety of applications, in particular where the flow of liquid needs to be carefully metered and where contamination of the liquid needs to be avoided. They are extensively used in medical applications, for example to deliver intravenous (IV) liquids to a patient, and also in food and beverage applications, for example to dispense a predetermined quantity of a beverage or a component of a beverage such as a liquid flavouring.
In a conventional peristaltic pump, flexible tubing is compressed between the pressing members (e.g. pins or rollers) of a rotor and a stator, and liquid is conveyed through the flexible tubing as the rotor rotates. The friction between the pressing members and the tubing can, however, cause a number of problems, notably premature wear of the flexible tubing, and the present disclosure seeks to address this.